Dear Fam,
Whether you are a runner, a jumper, a hurdler or a thrower, you understand just how aggressive this sport is on both your body and your mind. A team is not only made up of athletes but also made up of therapists, supporters, and our biggest fans. Our teammates were there to support us every step of the way. Whether it was a bad day or a good day they would be your shoulder to cry on or your number one fan. They become more than close friends; they became your own little track family.
No matter what your specialty, everyone gets along in one-way or another. You create a bond with each and every one of your teammates. You fight, you laugh, you cry you have inside jokes; just like real families do.The scariest part about college has to be making new friends. For an athlete, that was never a problem. Of course, when you first start practicing, everyone who was on the team the year before has a bond with each other. You, as a new member, feel like an outsider for the first couple days of practice. However, that feeling doesn’t last for long. Shortly, you begin to get to know the team and they become one of the most important people in your life. Truthfully, I don’t know what I would do without my track family. They have become an irreplaceable part of my life. I have met some of my best friends through track, and I could not be more grateful for that.
We understand each other on a deeper level than most athletes. Our sport is a team sport but it is also an individual sport. For some athletes, it’s hard to be in a team setting because they are too concerned with their own game. However, for track athletes it is different. We have our own individual events that we focus on and when our events come together, when we come together, we make a team.
We bonded in more ways than just the fact that we have to spend two hours a day at practice with one another. Whether it be singing along to the team song on the way home from a meet or eating dinner together in the cafeteria. Maybe it was complaining over how cold it was at our first outdoor meet or complaining that you didn’t throw as far as you wanted to. There is no greater bond or feeling a team can create. Well, other than collectively cheering for your 4x2 team. It is an amazing feeling to know that you have such great teammates who will always have your back no matter what. Whether it is on the track or off the track.
So thank you, to the teammates that have shaped me, not only as an athlete but as a person as well. To the ones who taught me how to be a team player and how to support others. To the ones that are there for me on my best days and still stick around for my worst days. Thank you for being my shoulder to cry on when I was stressed or supporting me in my event, time after time. Thank you for the late night Chinese food and movie nights. Thank you for everything, the memories we made and are going to make, both on and off the track. Thank you to not only my teammates but also my family.
Your Teammate Forever,
Cassidy
